It is that time of year again. The votes are in, and there are many surprises.
Each of this years recipients has, through their artistry, pushed the boundary
of possibilities for musical ecstasy in our homes in a unique way.

As I was writing this I was listening to a new CD set of Mistlav Rostapovich
playing the Bach cello suites. I took a break and started to read the book enclosed
in the set which is all about Rostopovichs emotional response to his idol,
Pablo Casals, his physical response to Bachs composition...and the challenges
of interpretation. Which got me to thinking once again about music intentionality
which is as complicated as the zipper on my blue jeans....it is all about the
conspiracy between the composer, performer and the audience to be deeply moved...emotionally
and physically... by the music. Fail at that task and you are a failure. And
so it is with audio technology...if somehow, in performing its work, we are
not taken to a deeper level of experience; if something more mysterious and
intense doesnt stir in our meat, than there is gizmological failure.

Because each year we become more refined this is a significant challenge. Yesterdays
thrills is todays yawn....and time, culture and art march on.

Fortunately for us all we are a true new Golden Age of tube electronics.

The awards I am giving this year emerged from the stirring in my soul, and
from a leap of faith...a core belief that we share the same longings and desires...that
there is a community of men all over the world who are traveling on the same
path...and this quest is thousands of years old.

The audio arts is definitely in a yo-yo phase where the "normal"
sector is hurtling downward, while the radical audio communities on the Internet
are shooting skyward. Here again is the case of the gifted amateur outpacing
the largest, best funded companies in creating exciting web sites and connecting
to their tribal brothers.

As you will soon discover this years awards are centered around taking
the Triode Guild orthodoxy to more subtle places...the mantra hasnt changed...

directly heated triodes, single-ended circuits, silver wire, alnico drivers.
I have finally found digital gear that excites me, and am suggesting some irresistible
pathways to Vinylville USA. On the other hand there are repeat winners because
there are some high places that have not been bettered...and they are still
the best available.

I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS QUESTION:

HOW DOES A THING BECOME ENDOWED WITH

THE SPIRIT OF THE MAKER?

For most of human history, until the scientific age emerged, it was commonly
understood that things were filled with spirit..in spite of sciences attempt
to convince us otherwise, the smartest segment of our population..men who love
motorcycles, hot rods, artists, and especially musicians have rebelled against
this notion; all enjoy the deep fulfillment that comes from interacting with
those things that are alive with the makers spirit...like the audio gizmos
made by this years winners.

LESS IS MORE GETS LESSER AWARD

ALPHA CORE MICRO FOIL CABLES

CAVEAT EMPTOR: This is
my most biased award because I am basically giving it to my self for persisting
in convincing Ulrich Poulsen of Alphacore to make a microphone cable version
of his silver foil cable which forced him to manufacturer his thinnest silver
foil yet....which I believe is the best sounding and cheapest interconnect
he makes.

THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF HOW MICRO PURLS WERE CREATED

Those of you who have followed my LESS IS MORE cable saga know
from reading the articles on the Triode Guild web site that two years ago when
I persuaded Ulrich to manufacture the family of Triode Quartz cables that he
assured me that there was no way to get any thinner than the TQ-1 which is equivalent
to a single strand of number 22 wire..pretty thin...but I wanted an equivalent
of 26 gauge...but according to Ulrich it would be too fragile...end of story.

The world wide success of the Triode Quartz cables speaks for itself, but I
couldnt stop, and my audio bro Mark Conese, who owns Ambient Recording
Studio and I decided to experiment with silver foil microphone cables. It doesnt
require a Ph.D. from MIT to know that microphone cables were the pits, and one
of the major villains responsible for the squashed aural matrix that are endemic
to recording studios.

Using the reference system pictured in the TRIODZILLA article, and Marks
very tweaked Ampex 350 TUBE tape recorder we first started to experiment with
his inventory of very trick and expensive microphones...you name it, including
those expensive German tube types, and he has it. Yet, we decided that an old
vintage RCA vintage ribbon microphone was the clearest and least distorted using
both our voices and a Steinway concert grand.

Ulrich made us microphone cables from the three available thickness of silver
Triode Quartz cable...and you guessed right...the minute we substituted the
silver foil cables for the standard Belden microphone cable the aural matrix
expanded, natural tone emerged, and all of the magic that you would expect from
a professional Ampex tube tape recorder was there again. We also noticed that
the thinnest cable was the most lucid, less smeared and most three dimensional.

We invited Ulrich over for a look listen and he too could hear the obvious
difference between the Belden and his silver foils. But I wanted confirmation
of these eccentric cables use in the pro field so I sent them to my friend
Russ Hamm who is the business of distributing pro gear to the top studios. He
sent sets of cables out to different recording "masters". One recording
engineer, after using the silver foils for a weekend, wouldnt stop pestering
me wanting to know about my theory about why the silver foils sounded so good...expect
I dont have one...... expect...complicated sounds complicated.

Ulrich got the message and the massage...there was a market for the ultra thin
Triode Quartz in the pro market as a microphone cable...expect the packaging
on the consumer cables would not cut the mustard in the pro market where
microphone cables are trampled on..daily. New packaging was needed.......no
problem...wrong......

Jump ahead nine months...Ulrich calls and tells me that he has figured out
a new indestructible packaging concept for the foil that will make it acceptable
for the pros but for it to work right he would have to reduce the size of the
foils to 26 gauge. Who said Audio Angels dont exist? Ulrich wanted to
know what I thunk, so he made me some sample cables...LESSER IS MORE...

It now made sense to also make both a balanced and unbalanced version of the
cable because the only difference would be in the consumer version the ground
shield would not be connected. Ulrich also figured out that by twisting the
wire its electrical characteristic would improve...it becomes quieter and is
much less prone to any RFI....important considerations in recording studios
and for musicmaniacs living in large cities.

Do you remember my comments about why I thought LESS IS MORE made so much sense
with silver foils? Because less silver translates into less cost for us and
the new Micro-Purls have about as less silver as possible and that means that
pure silver now is lower in cost than those fancy and complicated multi-strand
copper cables.

Before I describe my very biased impressions of these new 26 gauge cables let
me clear up a technical concept that has had a never negative effect on the
audio arts. I know when it started because I was one of the ones who started
it, so I am guilty, but I repented. In 1982 leaders of the hi fi industry recognized
that there was a significant marketing opportunity if we could convince men
that the size of their audio cables was an indication of their penis size...men
who used larger diameter cables, had large diameter penises...made sense being
that the average American male, including Howard Stern, has cable size anxiety.
You know what happened over the next two decades...cables got as thick as salamis.

Unfortunately for all of those men who bought those big thick cables they bought
into a lie, because the truth is that men with Mr. Bigs, are very ego secure
so they enjoy cables that are very very thin, because they sound better....and...did
you read the article in COSMO MAGAZINE with the title..."Men With Thin
Audio Cables Make Better Lovers"? This explains why women snicker at men
with big fat audio cables in their living room!

Fortunately, for me every audio reviewer has raved about the Alpha-Core foil
cables...either speaker or interconnects, so I dont have to spend too
much time convincing you that it is time to experience the unique aural matrix
of silver foil or copper foil cables... ultra simple foils are a completely
unique experience. AlphaCore is now commander of the high ground....but let
me assure you of this..everything I original claimed about the Triode Quartz
cables is true only more so with the Micro-Foil...and I dont know
why...and I dont think anyone really knows why cables sound so different...but
LESS IS MORE, and this is about as LESS AS YOUR CAN MAKE LESS.

And this is one of those rare cases in the audio arts, where better is cheaper....just
check the prices.

I want to thank Dr. Gizmo for persisting and want him to know that he is my
favorite, most handsome, kind, generous, poetic, lyrical, brave, gifted, senstive,
imaginative, loving, entertaining man in the audio business, and I wish I was
more like him.

ALPHACORE: www.alphcore.com

MEL SCHILLING

CAMELOT DIGITAL

AN EPIPHANY OF MIDRANGE WHOLE-OSITY

This is the first award I am giving for digital because there is nothing more
difficult than getting digital right. Tubemaniacs are the most critical of digital
because the inherent flaws of digital audio means that King Tone is under attack
and that is not a good thing musically.

The reason I am so excited about Mel Schillings amazing achievement is
that on an absolute sound quality level he has reached the territory of the
best and most expensive digital gear...and gone further...and fasten your potty
seat belts...these gizmos are affordable.

Mel has achieved, in a relatively affordable "combo", what few digital
gear can achieve within the "normal old" format...midrange harmonic
whole-osity; that area which is the very thing that is most difficult for digital
audio to achieve

My exuberance is centered around the combination of the three co-dependent
pieces of gear: (1) the DAC called The Arthur, (2) the jitter reducer
called The Dragon and, (3) the battery power supply for The Camelot which
is called TheCharm. When these three pieces are used together
"normal" CDs are transformed, with a whole bunch of digital discombobularity
melting away.

Mels efforts affirms once again that the masters of the audio arts are
the little hot-rod shops that live, eat and breathe music. Bravo Mel....and
his team of digital savants.

Trust me...listen to this gear, and be sure to switch back and forth between
the battery and regular AC power supply. If you cant hear the big difference
get a new hearing aid or better speakers. Camelot is a threat to the entire
digital orthodoxy that is still relying on AC/rectified power supplies.

WARNING: TO CONTINUE WITH THIS ARTICLE, WHICH WILL NOT PROCEED IN A
STRAIGHT LINE FROM POINT A TO B, LIKE THOSE BORING AUDIO ARTICLES YOU MUST GET
ON YOUR 1956 (TEAL BLUE AND WHITE, WITH WHITE LEATHER SADDLE BAGS WITH THE FRINGE
AND RIGHTEOUS MUFFLERS) HARLEY-DAVIDSON ELECTRO-GLIDE...LETS TRIP TOGETHER.

FLASHBACK

About four years ago I wrote an article in Positive-Feedback about my experiments
of taking an Audio Alchemy DAC, which had a bi-polar 12V power supply and creating,
by using two Sears Die-Hard 12 V car batteries, a battery power supply. Making
the wire connection took about an hour, and I reported that much of the "digital
grunge" disappeared when the unit was used in battery power mode. About
six months latter Audio Alchemy announced they were making a battery power supply
for their gear. The total cost of this bi-polar battery power supply was about
$60...I already had the battery charger.

I then wrote an article for Hi-Fi News describing my new $500,000 batterypower supply that dramatically improved the sound of the $299 Audio Alchemy
DAC. I bought new brand new Rolls Royces, threw away the cars and used their
batteries because I preferred the sound of Rolls Royce Batteries. The point
being that I discovered that different brands and types of batteries sounded
different. Some of my friends who are in the Hells Angels prefer
YUASA brand batteries like the ones used in Harley-Davidsons. One friend
preferred the original batteries used in 1948 Studerbakers.

Everyone who tried the battery power experiment agreed that a quantum of digital
discombobularity disappeared.

Being that you have read my article "Batteries Not Included" you
have the meta-picture, but there is another dimension that we, the tube maniacs
of the world, understand that the "normal silicon" world doesnt
understand, and that is because we are much more musically sensitive.....we
are the only tribe that cares about the tonal quality of rectifiers, which explains
why we love tube rectifiers that dont have the solid state sound of solid
state rectifiers.

There is no way to use tube rectifiers in solid state gear. The reason I got
into these battery experiments is that I intuited that solid state rectifiers,
including any solid state regulators were polluting digital circuits. Was it
possible that digital chips didnt like all that ultra high frequency garbage?

So big deal. I didnt imagine that too many music maniacs were going to
modify their equipment for battery power...and time marches on....and how many
had an audio system that would reveal the difference?

MEL SCHILLINGS VINTAGE EARS

I could write a five hundred page bio of Mel Schillings three decade
experience in the audio industry, but believe rather that this simple and short
story says it all: In the late 1960s Mel had a store called MUSIC AND SOUND,
and he knew the difference between the great Decca cartridges, and the mediocre
ones, and because of his friendship with the importer, Eugene Coggins of Paoli
Hi Fi, he only sold the great ones. Why do I mention this? Eugenes Coggins
Paoli 60M amplifiers (hot rodded Dynaco 70s) was a transformational experience
for me ( I owned two pairs) and got me back into tube gear in the 1960s. Mel
is directly connected back to the Periclean Golden Age of Audio when we all
ate "Groovies" , The Vinyl Flavored Breakfast Cereal For Music
Champions because it was important to start each day with the best tone.
There are moments of musical epiphany with a Decca cartridge and vinyl that
become permanently embossed in your soul...when they are working right (which
is usually on the third phase of an October moon).

But, like the true vinylmaniac that he is Mel is still dancing on the black
groovy edge with those rara avis, and still revolves with Weathers FM
cartridge (how cool...you arent a real vinylmaniac unless you have used
either the Weathers or Stax or the Win cartridge).

What I am implying is that those audio artists who grew up on vinyl have a
competitive advantage in being grounded in the highest audio aesethetic and
I know for a fact that Mel was a heavy vinyl snorter. I believe this is the
reason the Camelot digital gear sounds so juicy. End of story.

Which brings me to the CES of three years ago when I discovered that Mel was
experimenting with battery powered digital...which he assured me was not yet
ready for tasting. I instantly knew that this mans nose knew what was
worth knowing...he was wrestling with the Digital Devil. He too knew how to
take the road not traveled to find where King Tone still resides.

MUSIC, DONT JUST LISTEN TO IT, EAT IT

GETTING MY COLOMBIAN POT READY

In August the phone rang and it was Mel and he wanted to know if I was ready
for his new generation of digital gear. I warned Mel that I had reached a new
level of critical criticism of digital gear and had also developed one of the
most controversial and effective audio reviewing technique, and I wasnt
sure he has ready for this level of scrutiny.

I told Mel that my bat ears were so sensitive that I could tell just by opening
the box if gear was worth auditioning, and if it was, then the next thing I
did was to taste it. If it didnt pass my taste test...if the gear didnt
have that delicious flavor that I demand then I wouldnt even bother to
plug it in. Mel wanted to know how I knew how a piece of gear tasted before
I listened to it. I then told Mel, who I have know for three decades, my COLOMBIAN
POT trick.

I have a college friend who works in Columbia and for my birthday he sent me
a very large pot..it holds about two gallons. I now put new audio gear in this
Colombian pot and add some water and then slowly simmer the audio gear until
I get a nice thick hardy audio broth. When it cools down I taste the broth and
it tells me a great deal about the audio gear, because I am able to taste the
distilled essences of its art.

(NOTE: By now you have all ready my MUSIC, DONT JUST LISTEN TO IT, EAT
IT, which appears at the beginning of UNDERSTANDING TUBE ELECTRONICS II so you
understand my point of view for the next century of the audio arts)

The minute the broth, produced by the Camelot digital gear touched my lips,
I knew that something extremely major was happening. My tongue, which has a
Ph.D. from Harvard, could detect the subtle blending of circuitry that is usually
found in the most expensive digital gear, but there was something else apparent
that was mystifying...and I was compelled to plug the Camelot in for a longer
listening....that is how good it tasted.

GOURMET COOKING

As you know creating a true state of the art music system is just like gourmet
cooking. We assume that the cooks nose and tongue knows because if it
doesnt, no art is possible, and so it is with you. If your nose and tongue
doesnt know the aroma and flavor of music then you will be a lost puppy.
So it is with the audio artisan.

The reason I mention this is because of a recent experience I had with a very
famous audio engineer who invited me to his lab to listen to his latest assault
on the audio arts...$80,000 speakers...$80,000 amplifier. Hundreds of thousands
of dollars and years of research went into developing these products. As I left
the lab I pulled out my air sickness bags and put them on my ears so they could
puke..that is how bad it all sounded. While this famous audio engineer was explaining
the enormous complexity of his circuitry and telling me that he had never measured
circuits with lower distortion, I knew he was in trouble...because this equipment
was designed only with test equipment.

This is a classic case of an audio engineer with no, and I mean, minus musical
taste, attempting to shred the perimeter audio arts. What is the ultimate paradox?
I have, over the last thirty years, met many passionate audio engineers, men
who regularly attend concerts and who love music, and then proceed to create
some of the world worst sounding audio equipment.

Everyone likes the taste of gourmet food, and anyone can go to cooking school,
and memorize recipes, but that doesnt equal the making of a gourmet chef,
and the same is true of designing audio equipment. You can have ten Phds in
electrical engineering and consistently create turds.

When I was discussing the circuitry with Mel, he kept on emphasizing to me
that his design "dream team" was being bombarded by a flow of new
digital chips that were touted as being better...NOT. Mel was emphasizing that
his design team trusted their gifted ears, which always knows what is better....and
no test equipment has a clue about music. This is equipment that was designed
by gifted gourmet ears.

Which brings me back to Mel..this is a man whose nose and tongue nose and I
dont know if he ever even graduated nursery school and it doesnt
matter...the only thing that matters is the results he has achieved..SUMA CUM
LAUDE DIGITAL.

THE WESTERN ELECTRIC 300B TEST

Charles Whitener of Western Electric hates me...and for a good reason. I have,
in my intense scrutiny of different brands of 300B, asserted that the WE 300B
is the best midrange tube in the world, There is no tube that has a better
set of attributes for exploring the mystery of this foundation of the aural
matrix. But the WE does not equal other brands like the KR or VAIC for dynamic
range, low frequency response and expanded aural matrix...they are musically
more developed.....but if you are into midrange ecstasy, this is the tube. Everything
in life is a compromise.

Whenever I explore the essence of any equipment I put it to the WE 300B midrange
test to see how well it reveals the type of midrange magic that defines greatness.

As you know I have been on a deep music space probe with the Plitron torroid
single-ended transformers and have already revealed, in my articles, their ability
to clarify the tiny little squiggles in the midrange love tunnel. The WE 300B/Plitron
combo is out there, which was recently confirmed by MJ Magazine. Are you aware
that Japanese musicmaniacs literally will not listen to any other brand of 300B
because they cherish the midrange above all else...which explains why the Plitron
OPTs got such high praise in Japan.

Is your potty safety belt tight? Put down your Hustler Magazine and pay attention
to this: The combination of the Camelot digital gear, the Western Electric 300B
and the Plitron torroid OPTs has created the concrescence of digital midrange
juiciness...I havent heard better from any digital gear at any price.
Period.

Want a concrete example?: For the first time I could hear the Clearasil that
Tori Amos put on the zit on her chin. For the first time I could hear the garlic
on Leonard Cohens breath. For the first time I could hear the pearl buttons
on Wanda Landowskas dress as she played Bachs Goldbergs Variation.

I am sorry that I refuse to give you a conventional audio magazine review and
compare this and that and get down on my knees and measure micro-dynamics....just
take a close listen to this triology of digital gear and see if you can taste
what I hear.

THE DRAGONS BREATH

My previous experience with jitter reduction was not pleasant and it was with
the Audio Alchemy. The price was much too high. The "digital tizz"
was gone, but the haze thickened. It is not easy to get jitter reduction right
and the increase in circuit complexity is dangerous...but when it is done right,
as it is with The Dragon, it is stupefying, because it is so apparent that jitter
is a musical toxin, and must be purged. There may be other jitter reduction
devices on the market that reaches this level of refinement but I am not aware
of them.

When you throw the switch to connect and disconnect The Dragon, while the music
is playing, the difference is about as subtle as a splinter in your phallus.

The good new is that this device is ready for all of the new digital formats,
and if you are already committed to a DAC, you must check this unit out.

The synergy between The Arthur, in the battery mode, and The Dragon is a unique
experience because there is a multiplication of diminishment of what we abhor
in digital...the grunge, the choppiness, the tonal discombobularity.

Trust me....... your ears will get a Woody.

WILL YOU HEAR THE SYNERGY?

Again I must remind you that I have the worlds most sensitive hearing
because of my bat ear transplant, and my audio system is about as normal as
Dennis Hopper, so I cant be sure if you will experience the extraordinary
achievement of Mels team.

We are living in a digital world, so we must accept this fact of life and then
start searching for the masters of the this art form. Mels team has defined
the high ground for most musical lovers...this is a rare case of synergy...of
artful blend of circuitry, radical gizmology, boldness, and plain good musical
taste...implemented at affordable prices.

Here is a suggestion: If you cant afford all three...at once...buy the
bargain first, buy The Arthur. Then buy The Dragon, and then buy The Charm.
If you have an expensive DAC, then buy The Dragon.

Current prices for the products mentioned are as follows:

ARTHUR v3.0 Mk.2 @$799.

DRAGON Pro2 Mk.2 @$1495.

THE CHARM II Battery Power Supply @$699.

According to Mel he is adding some additional new products to his current line;
they are:

Think about the Apple Mc Intosh 128K computer in 1986...who would have thunk!

I am asserting that the Lowther driver, in the next decade will have the same
effect...it will revolutionize the way loudspeakers are designed for YOU, the
serious musicmaniac, and for a good reason...lets take a trip.

The Lowther driver is a unique and eccentric cup of tea, and it isnt
for everyone, and it is has many flaws and requires a good horn cabinet which
is a daunting task to create...but what it does right is so compelling you can
forget its mischievous ways...almost...

Every time I listen to a Lowther driver I am reminded of one of my most eccentric
lovers, who was a ballet dancer....Her soul defied gravity and obviously she
was a vessel for a mysterious spirit that loved to fly...but ballet dancers
are about as "normal" when it comes to human relationships as Lowther
are when it comes to producing the full frequency range of music, but they can
grab your soul and not let it go.

So here is my ontological take on the Lowther revolution: The major movement
in the audio arts is all about musical intimacy, King Tone, and an expanded
aural matrix....that is why directly heated triodes and single-ended circuits
have returned...they serves our needs especially well. When you experience the
Lowther, for the first time with a directly heated triode single-ended amplifier,
you will find spittle running from your mouth and your eyes glazing over...something
completely unique is happening here..and it is, and for very good reason...you
are hearing a midrange of ultimate clarity....

The Lowther is the finest midrange driver in the world..period, end of discussion.
The Lowther drivers deserves this award on that account, and if you agree that
the midrange is the most important arena of musical ecstasy...then you understand
the impulse of the Lowther cult which is growing by leaps and alnico, all over
the world. Japan is going Lowther crazy because it is the best and most affordable
way to really freak out..and we all need to get really freaky when it comes
to music...just like rock stars.

Comparing the midrange drivers used in 100% of the commercial store bought
speakers, even the most expensive, to the Lowther is like comparing that 1986
Apple to the new Cray supercomputer.

By now you have surfed to all the Lowther web sites and gone to the European
and Japanese ones as well and you are getting into the enormous variety
of cabinets used make this midrange driver into a full range driver. This is
surfing time is well spent for everyone because for the first time you will
discover a speaker driver company that is truly concerned about the tonal quality
of magnet structures, efficiency, and horsepower to weight ratio. Let me say
that another way...Lowther proudly flaunts that it is the ultimate extreme machine
and no other driver comes close...in the midrange. As far as I am concerned
nothing is more important than your ability to know and pick exactly the type
of driver/magnets that suits your unique taste in music. You will note a choice
of three different type of magnet structures..ferrite, alnico and neodymium......way
cool.

Dont like the sound of your cabinets? Remove the driver and through the
cabinet in the fireplace for fuel or sell it. You dont sell Lowther drivers,
you just build new cabinets for them in the eternal quest for Lowther pleasure.

To whom would I recommend this driver? If you are an apartment dwelling musicmaniac,
or if you have a small listening room, and are sophisticated enough to accept
the limitation of its performance...then you are in for a major music thrill.
If you want the ultimate midrange, you must be prepared to give up a degree
of high frequency and low end performance...in this case.

The other important point is that these drivers can be considered either the
worlds most expensive midrange drivers or the worlds best bargain
in thrills.

The extreme benefit of not needing a crossover means that you will have no
impediment to your experience of the artistic possibility of DHT single-ended,
circuits, The great good news is that there are many different under $1,500
per mono pair 2A3 amplifiers that are now available...and more are the way.

Here is a piece of top secret news, so please dont tell anyone about
it: David Berning is creating a battery powered version of his ZOTL amp just
for the Lowthers which will cost about $600 and produce about one watt!

Any monkey coffin maker who is not listening to Lowther speakers is dumber
than dumb and will be left behind in the prevailing midrange fog of commercial
speakers. It is time for the entire speaker industry to start imitating the
Lowther glory!

If your ego is strong and if musical fires are burning in your loins, spend
time listening to these drivers....it will transform your notions about the
future of the audio arts...there is no more affordable way to dance on the edge...if
you are ready to pay the price.

LOWTHER: (TONY GLYNN) www.lowther-america.com

THE DIAMOND MICRO-MUSICAL SQUIGGLIES AWARD

MARCHAND TUBE CROSSOVERS

AGAIN

AND NOW THY ARE 2, 3 & 4 WAY

Phil Marchand laboring in his music cave in upstate New York is expanding his
line of tube crossover so you can now buy either a two, three or four way tube
crossover...NO MORE EXCUSES. Get rid of your crossover NOW!

Over the last year there has been a acceleration in Lowther awareness and appreciation,
which I assert is all about NOT CROSSOVERS. I am sorry I have to rub this hot
pepper oil on your butt....but you spend thousands of dollars on your audio
system and everything arrives at a $6 inductor and a $2 capacitor. The minute
you hear a Lowther driver, whether you like the sound or not, you are taken
aback by the transient response and the clarity...you are taken aback by the
"choking effect" that is no longer there.... that is there in all
crossover-ed speakers.

Why does this matter? It matters because so often we are forced to use rubber
condoms, and it is nice to know that there is at least one area of our lives
where we can enjoys all of those micro-squigglies of music pleasure without
fear....

Okay let me say that another way for Republicans...if you want to experience
the outer edge of the audio arts and that means the ultimate in KING TONE, the
ultimate in DYNAMICS, the most EXPANDED AURAL MATRIX, and if you want complete
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION...there is only one choice and it is to use a tube crossover.

The tube crossover imperative has become much more imperative over the last
year for three good reasons....(1) the availability of higher powered directly
heated triode from KR and VAIC, (2) the available of 2A3s from KR and VAIC (3)
the availability of very reasonably prices 2A3 amplifiers from FI, Wright Audio,
Welborne Labs...and more and more.

Let me draw you a new picture--a 20 watt SET on the woofer, either an 8 watt
or 5 watt "normal" 300B or a 4-5 watt 2A3 on the midrange, and a 2A3
on the tweeter. Thats right...go for it..use three different single-ended
directly heated triode amps, and then buy a 100 pound bag of sand so you can
kick sand in everyones face. Admit it..you would like to bully your audio
bros.

As I have suggested, this multi-amp strategy will produce a higher quality,
more subtle, more deeply moving aural matrix than using one $100,000 amplifier.

I have also suggested that those who must use small monitor speakers will also
benefit from the two way tube crossover...and that extra 2A3 amplifier is small,

Let me remind you again of a very unusual features of the Marchand circuit..you
can choose 6,12, 18, or 24 db slopes, and that is what I call maximum fun, and
opens up "blending possibilities" that would be impossible with passive
crossovers.

I recognize that many of you will be terrified of altering your speakers, and
I am sure that your favorite speaker manufacturer will lie to you and tell you
that the use of an external crossover is NOT a good idea. Let me assure of this
truth...in your audio "chain", speakers are the most primitive technology..in
spite of claims to the contrary....disconnecting wires from your passive crossover
and extending them and attaching speaker cables to them is work well designed
for idiots, if you know how to use a screw driver and a soldering iron...and
if you dont find a friend who does. This process takes NO TECHNICAL SKILL!
This is also a good lie detector test for your favorite speaker manufacturer.

Did you know that B&W boasts that it offers its best speakers with external
electronic crossovers...in Japan...but not in America...because we slobs are
not refined enough. This is the oldest best idea in the audio arts and you should
explore it.

Phil Marchand is the man, and once again it is the lone audio artisan (Phil
works for Xerox as an engineer during the day) that is defining the edge of
the audio arts.

MARCHAND ELECTRONICS: www.marchandelec.com

THE GOLDEN CIRCLE AWARD FOR MENNO VANDERVEEN

THE PLITRON TORROID OPTS

I recently was reading a bunch of books about ancient architecture and symbolism
and rightly noted how important the circle is as an archetype.

I am putting you all on notice that the next decade will see an explosion of
torroid output transformers. Why? Because once you start experiencing the new
Plitron torroid OPTs designed by Menno Vanderveen for Plitron there will be
compelling reasons for others to imitate...that is how good these are.

I have been deep into the Plitron single-ended 5K models, which in their own
right are an absolutely fantastic achievement.....as far as I know this is the
first time in the history of tube circuitry that torroid single-ended transformers
have been available...trust me...this is a major artistic achievement.

How deeply moved have I been? You will soon discover a project that I am doing
with Plitron to insure that you will be able to experience these new OPTs. These
revolutionary audio devices will be resisted and resented by the orthodoxy.
Tube amplifier manufacturers will claim that torroids OPTs can not work right...and
they are right when they are talking about the old way of making torroids, but
the Plitron construction technique here is completely unique and took years
to develop. Other transformer manufacturers will also put these torroids down..but
will be terrified to measure them or experience them.

Can I make this analogy: Plitron torroids are to "normal" E/I core
transformers, as 300Bs are to 6550s. Mennos designs are completely unique
and that translates from their electrical characteristics which translates into
a completely unique way they are able to offer us KING TONE, dynamics, especially
in the low frequencies, and an EXPANDED AURAL MATRIX.

Many of the justifiable complaints of single-ended circuits poor low
frequency and high frequency performances disappear with these torroids...and
that is exactly the point...when you compare the aural matrix between "normal"
and Mennos transformers the differences are quite amazing.

For those of you who are into push/pull Menno has shredded the envelop....and
rather than taking ten pages to explain you must get his new book MODERN HIGH
END VALUE AMPLIFIERS..(available from Plitron and must reading for everyone)
which explains his innovations which will make you giddy with delight....this
is truly exciting news because I will soon embark on building once again (not
since the 1970s) push/pull amplifiers.

And now for the bad news...and then the good news...

You can not retrofit these transformers into your existing tube amps
because they are very large and will not fit on your chassis...they require
chassis acreage...and soon the solution to this problem will magically appear...trust
me.

There is one closing caveat...Mennos designs demand the most serious
implementation...really stiff power supplies and well filtered and very high
quality input/driver stages...if you want to experience their ultimate magic.

You will also note on the Plitron web site the enormous range of choices you
have.

Be sure to order Mennos book.

PLITRON MANUFACTURING: www.plitron.com

THE PLATINUM ENIGMA AWARD FOR

ALEX GARNER AND TANNOY

I have wandered far and wide over the last twelve months. I have climbed mountains,
penetrated rain forest, I have endure the pain and suffering of sitting in audio
showrooms...the National Geographic should give me an award....I have searched
everywhere looking for something to better the Alex Garner designed alnico dual
concentric driver used in the Tannoy Westminster Royals, and I havent
found it. I have listened to speakers that cost twice as much and a fraction
of the cost, and again have concluded that the top of mountain belongs to Alex
and Tannoy.

On the other hand the management of Tannoy will soon be receiving a years
supply of Prozac because I also believe that no company has such advanced marketing
schizophrenia, they command the artistic high ground, and literally no one in
America has experienced their achievement. Tannoy management appears to have
made the decision.... they wont, or cant sell their highest quality speakers
in America. On top of this they have no desire to communicate to the American
public about the unique acoustic properties of their speakers. They are so busy
with the pro market that they are not giving the largest consumer speaker market
in the world proper respect. Just check their web site and sales literature....no
mention of the unique properties of the dual concentric aural matrix! I dont
get it, especially when I have a brochure in front of me printed by Tannoy that
explains it brilliantly. Wake up Scotland..put it on your web site.

Thats right I am Tannoys biggest fan and harshest critic, and I
am bombarded with two different cyber-groups: (1) Those who think I am crazy,
because they have never heard the speakers that I am madly in love with, and
have only experienced the popular priced Tannoy speakers which I surmise have
not been properly voiced for the American market, and (2) fellow worshippers
who own or are searching for vintage Tannoys...who know exactly what I am talking
about because they are eating the same gourmet meal.

These Tannoy cultists asks: Why doesnt Tannoy reproduce its classics...in
the same way Marantz, Mc Intosh, and Quad reproduced their classics? When you
go the Tannoy web site (www.tannoy.com) check their time line, this is probably
the longest speaker time line in the world. Check out their history of decades
of making alnico magnet speakers which explains why most of the used Tannoys
from their Periclean Period are now in Japan.

The answer may be that Tannoy in Scotland is too disconnected from America,
too busy making money producing ceiling speakers or speakers for auditoriums
and airports or cars. The answer may be that Tannoy management doesnt
understand the importance of marketing hierarchies in America. The answer may
be that Tannoy North America has no real interest in the consumer market because
its pro market is exploding...because zillions of rock and rollers want Tannoys
in their closet music studio.

As far as America is concerned it looks like Tannoy has abandoned the quality
end of their business, while B&W goes gang busters, and will only deliver
their best products to Japan...which deeply offends me as an American, who is
a taxpayer, served in the US Army, and believes every freedom loving American
should have a high quality dual concentric driver in their living room...but
it is my job to get emotional about this stuff, especially since my life would
be unbearable without my Tannoys.

That doesnt change the facts....Alex Garner and his team of engineers
knows something that very few people on earth still know how to do...create
a magnificent work of driver art...nothing comes close...and you will probably
never experience Tannoys genius. Thats right...in art there is tragedy.

TANNOY: www.tannoy.com

THE GOLDEN FILAMENT AWARD

ALESA VAIC:AVVT

INTRODUCTION

NOTE: You will notice that I have spent more time on this award than any other,
and for two good reasons. (1) Cameron Diaz, called me from the location
of her latest movie, where she spends a great deal of time in her trailer surfing
the web for really hot news about tube gear...and sent me this email"....

Dr. Gizmo...

Love your kilt. Check out the new AVVT web site http:/www.elektronenroehren.de/avvt/
These guys are really dancing on the edge.

Cameron

and (2) combined with the new Plitron torroid SET OPTs Alesas
new 300BSLs have dramatically expanded my aural matrrix

THE WAVE BUILDS

The directly heated triodes, DHTs, wave has become the El Nino of the
audio arts. There is nothing wrong with pentodes for the musicmaniac who has
just arrived on the path, or for the man who is fascinated by power and has
not yet artistically ascended to aural whole-osity. It is a good thing that
these men have so many new choices in pentodes.

But truly it may be said that you, the connoisseurs, have reason to be dancing.
More DHTs are available than ever before, and they are more affordable and they
are more refined and they are absolute proof that your heightened artistic demands
are being supported by your wallets. You want, you deserve and you are getting
a new musical high. Alesa Vaic is, in the truest sense is a thermionic techno-shaman,
creating new tube art which transports us to totally non-normal dimensions of
musical experience. Vaic is now standing on the top of Mt. Triode.

Some very major thermionic creativity is happening with AVVT which may not
be apparent to all...but when you are done with this trip you will understand
Alesas cunning and genius...and why he most recent creations will shake
rattle and roll tube amplifier design orthodoxy.

FASTEN YOU SEAT BELTS BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A SHORT TRIP
ON THE LESS IS MORE ROLLER COASTER BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR AWARD WINNING JOURNEY.

A GREEK TUBE MYTH

I have never met, spoken or corresponded to Alesa Vaic, but I know him. I read
about him in Homers epic tale, the Iliad, and Odysseuss struggle
to get home. This ancient hero had to struggle against terrible odds, demons,
tempters, terrible storms, and forces beyond his control...but he didnt
give up. Alesa Vaic has descended into the enveloping darkness of tragic partnerships
many times, and I am sure, like all artists, he has had to wrestle with his
own dark forces...just like you and I. He had two failed marriages; one with
Riccardo Kron and Peter Qvuortrop.....two passionate men with egos that can
cast a shadow over Mt. Everest. And I am sure Alesas ego reaches up to
clouds too. Both of these business relationships must have been a torturous
impediment to his expressive genius. How can I be sure? The proof is in his
new tubes. Was Alesa and evil radio repairmen in a previous life and is paying
his dues in this life time?

The new line-up of AVVT tubes will literally knock the breathe out of your
midrange, and....I think I know what is happening here. Alesa, now free to do
his own thing is doing what the best artistic male DNA does ( it is what Bachs
DNA did and it is what Michaelangelos DNAs did), and that is to
show off his brilliance....to prove to the world that after two descents into
Hades, he has arisen to claim rebirth and victory.....When you come from behind
and pull ahead...ah the sweet taste of triumph.

There are now two masters of the directly heated triodes, Riccardo Kron and
Alesa Vaic, and they have taken very different paths...Can I use the analogy
of Picasso and Matisse? Contemporaries, but very different types of heavy duty
modern revolutionaries..with very different styles.

I am going to divide my comments into three different tube categories: (1)
output tubes(2) input/driver/preamp tubes, and (3) rectifiers...in each of these
categories Alesa is shredding the boundaries of thermionic coolosity, and demanding
that we pay attention to him.

Before I begin I must comment on the comments I have heard about previous reliability
problems with VAIC tubes which is a complicated issue because I am not sure
from which relationship or factory these tubes were created. Personally I have
been using "original" VAIC tubes which are about four years old with
no problems, and they are my favorite 300Bs. The question everyone is asking...Are
the new AVVT tubes reliable? Time will tell, and the benefit of the Internet
is that there are no secrets.

According to Bob Ungemach, whose company AMR is the American distributor, heres
the deal...general speaking..."AVVT is standing behind these tubes with
a five year warranty on filament life", and that everyone should check
the AVVT web site for more info on the warantee.

What follows is one of my most laudatory articles, but le me assure you that
if I find out that AVVT is not standing behind their tubes.....out with my sword,
and off with Alesas head...so I am giving this genius the benefit of the
doubt...for the moment.

(1) ALESAS FAMILY OF 300BS

Now that you have been to the AVVT web site you know that Alesa has taken the
classic 300B and created his own unique interpretation of them, from a direct
replacement, the 300BSL/37 (which I am now discussing and cost $150 each) to
a bunch of higher powered models. His new mega-powered tubes are scary! You
now know why and how his tubes are constructed differently than all other 300B
tubes, and let me assure you that this translates into their own unique aural
matrix...which is giving me a woody.

I must remind you that all of my artistic judgments are made on the basis of
my audio system which is as "normal" as Jim Carey, and that includes
nothing but tube regulated power supplies, including one dedicated just for
the input/driver stage...and my now favorite 5K Plitron torroid SET OPTs.....there
is heavy spooky magic happening here.

As more and more musicmaniacs are becoming aware of 300Bs they are becoming
aware of the different aroma of the different brands...just like fine Havana
cigars. I have commented on the testicularity and juiciness of KR tubes and
the midrange lucidity of the WE. Next to my amplifiers is a heavy ski glove
so I can change back and forth between different brands of 300Bs, and I find
that over the last year I have been listening more and more to my old VAIC 300Bs,
which to me had just the right balance of the midrange clarity, that I hear
with the WE, and the testicularity, especially in the bass that I love with
the KR tubes. With the WE I miss the tonal authenticity that is dependent on
having the lower harmonics present in the right proportion. While I can understand
the allure of their amazing midrange, the absence of the lower harmonic register
makes me unfulfilled....and there is a high frequency glare that is annoying.
I basically reached the decision based on hours of listening to both the WE
and KR tubes that my five year old VAIC tubes have the best combination of the
two...not as clear in the midrange as the WE, and not as dynamic as the KR...but
the most of eachs best...but things can change...and how can I recommend
a tube that is no longer available?

MY BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT ARRIVES

About two months ago I was contacted by Jac Vandewalle who is involved with
Alesa, asking if I wanted to audition the new AVVT DHTs...both the 300Bs and
2A3s. In spite of the fact that Naomi Campbell was taking up most of my time
I thought I might squeeze some listening time in the daily massages Naomi demands..
On the day before Thanksgiving...which is as close to my birthday as FED EX
can come, a pair of 300Bs and 2A3s arrived. I cannot yet comment about the 2A3s
(these tubes are a whole story unto themselves) because I am building a special
amplifier for them which will be ready in about two weeks...but I jumped right
into the 300BSLs.

You can put rubber plugs in my ear and I can detect subtle differences in 300Bs...after
this many years of listening to ALL of the different brands in exactly the right
system to evaluate them.

What is so exciting about Alesas achievement is that he has simultaneously
reached a new high, and has also reached a new low....in price for this quality...I
dont care about the price...these are the best 300Bs I currently have...in
my system.

Which now permits me to get my solid silver tongue out....and remember these
tubes have not yet had the benefit of at least one hundred hours of burn in...

When working within a classic aural matrix like the 300B the trick is to take
their classic qualities to a higher level of implementation without destroying
their "Wholey Essence"....which to a large degree is all about tone.
No one has done this better than Alesa, and what I am experiencing is the tonal
authenticity that I can not live without, that is only available in directly
heated triodes, revealed in a transparent way that is more thrilling than looking
at Cindy Crawfords butt through transparent undies. Of course the danger
of the "clarity pursuit" is that if you are successful you will immediately
reveal all of the other previously fogged over flaws....not so with these 300BSL.
These tubes take me back into another layer of music love fold...sounds are
emerging out of the shadows, that were lurking and unknown. For those who hunt
in the music shadows....this is trophy hunting.

Because I am one of the outstanding proponents of dynamics, which is why I
use horn loudspeakers, it is also apparent that subtle dynamic textures are
now appearing that were not apparent with other 300Bs. This falls under "transient
integrity" which is a sound field that is uniform in its transient explosion...from
top to bottom. The improvement in lower register transients inspire another
level of ecstasy in bowed instrument...and if you are into Mickey Hart...get
down with your percussive self. Again, it is apparent with the Tannoy horns
that different brands of 300Bs are not equal in this aptitude. Are any of you
familiar with Sunocos Cam 4/104 octane gas? It is $4 a gallon, and I use
it on the weekends because my motor feels like it just got a 20 hp boast. These
are high octane 300Bs...and I am only using them at 360 volts...and with only
about 5 watts they are making waves in my bathtub. Listening to Ry Cooder playing
now requires me to put on my old New York Audio Labs diaper.

The phrase that keeps on coming to mind...BIG AURAL MATRIX.

PAUSE: It occurs to me as I am writing this that Alesa knew he had to make
a major big comeback after his meltdown with Riccardo Kron and Peter Qvuortrop,
and I can imagine his partners and investors sitting around a table and agreeing
on a strategy of making a ultra high performance 300B, and selling the first
couple of thousand at a loss to get everyones attention...and.... lets
exploit Dr. Gizmo because more than any one else The Guildmeister will appreciate
what we have accomplished.....and he will immediately realize that we are
giving these tubes away....and he will tell the world.

And they are right. I am honored to be a pawn of their plan.

It makes absolutely no sense to buy another brand of 300B....and I have
just made a bunch of enemies, but the truth is powerful, and if a company is
going to create predatory pricing to buy a market...where you and I and our
audio bros benefit, then it is my duty to report on it. Buy now and
horde.

All of you musicmaniacs who are putting your kids through college and own one
of these great "value" 300B SETs....you know what to do next....

THIS TUBE WILL REVOLUTIONIZE

300B PUSH/PULL AMPLIFIERS

Who is the biggest advocate of the 300B push/pull amplifier of super duper
refinement? Thats right and no one knows what I mean because so few have
heard the Sun Audio 300B push/pull. What I now realize is that these 300BSL
tube can take this amazing aural matrix to a much higher implementation, and
this coincides with me getting back into, after a 20 year sabbatical...push/pull.

A GOOD REASON TO GET MORE SERIOUS

Sorry for being a nag...if you really want to hear how great these tubes are;
if you want to experience their capacity for expanding your aural matrix, you
will have to get very serious...very stiff power supplies, super high quality
OPTs are required if you want to hear those teensy little blond music hairs
that hide in those special secret places. Which brings me back to the neo-classic
idea which is alive and well in Japan...buy quality drivers, quality tubes and
quality output transformers...and let the configuration change with time. Can
better 300Bs be made? Probably, but in terms of cost/value this is the highest
anyone is going to get.

THE GENERIC DIRECTLY HEATED TRIODE COMPLAINT

I am not a tube techie but it is common knowledge that directly heated triodes
tend to be microphonic because there filaments are "out there", long,
and subject to microphonics, and I have complained about this.

I speculate that Alesas new construction tecnique has solved this problem
in a brand new way because the clarity, extension, and openness in the upper
frequencies is exactly the area attacked by "flaying filaments". I
have never heard this before in a 300B.

My summary is..Alesa topped himself...and I didnt think he could do it...
I will keep you informed as I experience deeper levels of their mysteries. Want
to give yourself a great Christmas present? You know what to do. I have also
heard these tubes are getting scarce... everyone loves a bargain.

And remember all of my comments are based on NOT using the new AVVT driver
tube....

(2) INPUT/DRIVER/PREAMP TUBES

YESTERDAYS QUIXOTIC IS TODAYS COOLESENCE

In a perfect world, and in Triode Heaven, an amplifier would have one stage...the
output stage...one tube. This would be a remarkable tube and I hope someday
someone invents it, but until that time we need a voltage amplifier/ driver
stage/phase splitter as well as an output tube. The next best thing would be
a two stage amplifier..just one tube with one element which acts as a voltage
amp/driver, but this tube would have to have some remarkable electrical characteristics.

My comments about the special performance of the Sun Audio push/pull amps is
directly related to the fact that it uses only one voltage amplifier tube
(6SN7 with both halves parallel thereby acting as a single triode) and a transformer
phase splitter ( this is really a three stage amplifier...but it uses only one
tube and no coupling caps) proved to me once again...LESS IS MORE...for ultimate
refinement...less stages are better than more stages...if you can design the
stages properly.

Now go to the schematics on the AVVT web site. You will notice a bunch
of two stage single ended amplifier schematics...one tube (a new AVVT tube:
a mini DHT) acts as the voltage amp/driver tube and then you have an AVVT output
tube. This is about AS LESS is possible in amplifier design and is a way big
deal. When we compare these schematics to our normal 6SN7 driver stages we notice
that a stage is missing, because, in the typical dual triode 6SN7 one triode
is used as a voltage amplifier, which is then usually capacitor coupled to the
other triode, which is used as the driver. This means our very precious teensy
beensy signal is going through two stages and a bunch of capacitors before it
reaches the grid of the output tube. Even if these two stage were directly coupled
it is still another stage.

Being that single ended circuits are the circuits that demand and compel the
greatest subtlety, the ability to eliminate a stage is a significant aesethetic
advantage, and it is made possible by the first modern directly heated preamp/driver
tubes...and they are designed by Alesa Vaic

As you know there is a cult in Italy and Japan that is into the "pure
DHT" signal path...every tube must be directly heated from input to output....no
miniature or octal tube triodes which are indirectly heated. Many years ago
there was an article in Glass Audio which explored the unique qualities of directly
heated triodes as input tubes. One of the massive claims of the new massive
Marantz T-1 amplifier is that, not only is the entire signal path DHT: 300Bs
as driver tubes, and 845s as output tubes, but the rectifiers are 845s. This
was Marantzs way of impressing their home Japanese audiomaniac market
with their coolosity. Style matters, and Mr. Cool goes all the way with DHTs.

You will note in MJ and Cositruire, the Italian magazine, many single-ended
circuits that use 10Ys, 45s and 2A3s as input/driver tubes, often choke loaded,
or used with transformer drivers.

The challenge with all of these circuits, up until now, is that by using an
output tube as a high gain input/driver tubes you must deal with the microphonics
of DHTs which are not that critical in output tubes but are critical in voltage
amplifiers. It is not uncommon for these tubes to start "singing".
This was always the problem with Nuvistor tubes, so great care in mechanical
construction has to be used here to minimize microphonics.

"But who cares", this cult of DHT coolosity says. This is the cult
that is the most passionate worshippers of KING TONE. Their Holy Text commands
that anything else is a denigration of Tonal Whole-osity. Even if you have never
heard a pure DHT single path try to imagine the difference between the sound
of pentodes and DHTs. Can you imagine your amplifier reaching an even higher
level of juiciness...if you are using a octal or miniature triode (shame on
you).

Why have I spent all this wind of this subject? Because Alesa is awesomely
cool, because he has opened the door to ultimate coolosity to slobs like us
by making, as far as I know, the first directly heated triode tubes specifically
designed to used as input/driver tubes. The key to this, according to Alesa,
is his new manufacturing process that gets the filament wires under control
so that they dont vibrates and create the microphonics that are killers
for high gain voltage amplifiers. What he has in fact created are small, very
low powered DHT power tubes with the right electrical characteristic...

Are you ready for a deeper level of coolosity? These tubes have to be biased
just like your DHT output tubes because they are DHT tubes, which means you
have many choices of biasing techniques, with each method creating a different
sonic profile. You will note on the AVVT web site schematics for the different
ways to bias these new DHT driver tubes. Do you get the significance of this
in terms of fine tuning your SET? Change six parts and you change your bias
circuit and get a very different sound. You can use "adjustable" bias
and tune you input circuit to the point where it sounds just right for you...what
fun!

You will note that this new family of tubes comes in three different levels
of gain which means soon we will see phono stages, line stages and all sorts
of amplifier input/driver stages implemented with absolutely the highest regard
for tone.

This also means that you must use the highest quality and well regulated power
supply ... consider tube regulation, chokes, tube rectification, including the
absolutely most refined, meaning quiet filament supply, which must be actively
regulated to completely eliminate any AC hum.

Should I be this excited when I havent yet experienced these tubes? Yes,
because I am hearing from others who I trust that they are what I imagine, and
as soon as I get them I am build a circuit for them.

The aesthetic implications of two stage single ended triode amplifiers is way
major and is another example of the deep dialectic of the audio arts...while
digital audio is becoming infinitely complex, DHT amplifier design is moving
towards infinite simplicity...and that is the way of art.

(3) THE 274 RECTIFIER

As you know from reading my articles about the different aroma of tube rectifiers,
it is very easy to tune your amplifier by changing brands and types. It is well
known that the finest sounding rectifiers were made by Western Electric, and
their Model 274 is legendary in Japan and sells for more than original 300Bs.
Charles Whitener CEO of WE has been claiming for years that he will make the
274, but now discounts his own claims because it is too difficult technically.
Riccardo Kron also claimed that he was making his own version of the 274...NOT
in the works. So when and if Alesa Vaic manufacturers his own version of the
274 it will be a very big deal...and my intuition tells him he will do just
to kick sand in everyones face.

Why is this such an important issue: the combination of his directly heated
triode input/driver tube, his output tubes and his rectifiers..will surely define
the Mt. Everest of tonal righteousness...the golden standard against all else
will be judged.

I CHANGE MY MIND

I started off by saying that I never met Alesa Vaic....his soul is on fire
in my living room right now...and what more do I need to know.

POSTSCRIPT

It is now two oclock in the morning and since I wrote this award I have
been experimenting and tweaking and listening to the music I know well. And
I got inspired and I rummaged through my 6SN7 collection and found some 1942
Tung-Sols that look really weird...but are the perfect lovers for the new tubes.
I am ordering some VT231s also from 1942 to compare.

I am discovering more harmonic layering, more separation both front and back
and more aural surprises.....more space, better pacing, better breathing...more
emotion...

Spent Thanksgiving day adjusting to these tubes and fine tuning my system.
They are starting to burning in and the musical ooze is getting more intense.
Major wetness. The day after Thanksgiving I was so inspired by these beautiful
works of art that I started to ask the most important question, which forced
me to go into my storage space and schlep out more different types of tube regulated
power supplies...and spend hours listening to the effects they have on the AVVT
tubes...

I started to construct a hierarchy of regulated power supply creamosity for
these tubes...and of course every time I changed from one brand of power supply
to another....GIGUNDO CHANGE IN AURAL MATRIX...I finally came to peace with
a pre-1960 unit that has no solid state devices in it...tube rectifiers, mercury
vapor regulator tubes...all metal 6L6 metal can output tubes....the harmonic
cream started to rise so fast that it reached my neck and I thought I was going
to drown in it so I put on my scuba mask and I swam around in it..

do you get my drift sailor?.....buy these tubes either because they are a great
bargain or because they are transportation to the edge of Creamville....if you
are not creaming, you are not dreaming.

I decided when and if I met Alesa I am going to give him a big French kiss.

I cant wait to get the AVVT DHT driver tubes...and the 2A3 ..Yikes.

CONTACT: AMR/ROBERT UNGERMACH Rungemach@aol.com

Check out the new AVVT web site http:/www.elektronenroehren.de/avvt/

THE GOLDEN VACUUM AWARD

CHARLES KITTLESONS

VACUUM TUBE VALLEY MAGAZINE

The "buzz" on the hot new tube mag seven years ago was Sound Practices
that preyed open everyones eyes to single-ended circuits, thereby widening
the publics view of tube circuits, and you know the results of Joe Roberts
boldness.

The catalyst in the next stage in the tube audio renaissance is Vacuum Tube
Valley, which presents the widest, most comprehensive, most artful and most
interesting vision of tube circuits and it is 100 years wide. The triology of
truth prevals...We have Glass Audio from the east coast, Sound Practices from
Texas, and VTV from California.

It is not by accident that Charles Kittlesons Vacuum Tube Valley Magazine,
which is created with Eric Barbour and John Atwood, and his shop is located
in the Silicon Valley...the epicenter of computer technology that is re-connecting
humans to each other after a devastating and violent century of disconnection.
Computers are not just dumb adding machine, they are not capable of delivering
the existential content that gives human connection meaning, and that is ecstasy.
So it makes perfect sense, to this thermionic techno-shaman, that tube audio
electronics should be the rage in Silicon Valley...because all of those millionaire
propeller heads from cyberspace know, what we know.....No Glass, No Class...and
it is a very long steep road to musical ecstasy, if the road is paved with silicon.
What do these digital propereller heads do once they get their first barrels
of cash? They go analog crazy.

But it is for Charle, Erics and Johns artistic achievement in publishing
Vacuum Tube Valley that I am giving him and his staff this award. This is an
outstanding achievement for many reasons, and let me put it into perspective
for you...

By and large the American audio press is anti-audio-culture and anti-audio
art, because their audience, the men of America, are not yet intelligent enough
to understand what the Japanese understand.....the audio arts are inseparable
from the web of culture. Tube electronics are the objet dart of the audio
arts for obvious reasons and collecting the "important" works of art
is as sensible as collecting "important" modern paintings, but there
is a special joy here. It is possible to listen sublime music with a 1920s
radio receiver, or to a 1930s Western Electric amplifier. Charles vision
is one hundred years wide...and his embrace includes everything that glows and
makes music.

I guess the key word here is CONNOISSEURSHIP, which is the collection, possession
and use/experience of fine works of art, whether that be wines, cigars, cars
or tube gear. Vacuum Tube Valley is the only American audio magazines that celebrates
connoisseurship and that puts this young man decades ahead of every other publishers.
VTV is a celebration of that segment of the audio arts that is most expressive
of the paradox of art.

Charles has made a major contribution to the advancement of audio connoiseurship
by doing a feature article about a specific tube..300B, 6V6, 6SN7, 2A3, etc,
etc. Why is this so important? When you read each of these feature articles
you are beholding the single greatest aesthetic benefit of tube circuitry...the
ability to pick and choose those tubes which satisfy your unique and subtle
sense of music. Only in the pages of Vacuum Tube Valley do we see the kind of
intensive investigation of different brands, and models unique personality....
and that means this dedicated group of testers go all the way back to the 1920s.
Which is the tastiest NOS 6SN7? Check out the article devoted to this tube,
which will, for example, help you pick the right tube to get the most subtle
harmonic cream from the input circuit for your amp...

This type of intensive investigation is made possible because (1) Charles has
an enormous tube collection and (2) he has access to very large collections
of tubes. How to use this articles? Check out the ratings and then start searching
the web for your object of desire...you will find it because there are still
hundreds of thousands of NOS tubes floating around in America.

I cant be too emphatic about the value of this service. My preaching
that the edge of the audio arts is all about fine tuning your audio system is
made much easier to understand after you read this magazine.

Charles and his staff also do very important research on "tube friendly"
speakers, like the kind that were made before transistors dominated. A recent
article about the Altec 604 was the best guide for acquiring these 16 OHM/Alnico/100
db efficient drivers which are still a bargain in America at about $1,000-$1,800
a pair.

If you love tube electronics than you will love the articles on the classic
state of the art radios, and the post WW II "classic" amps. Those
of you who are into buying tube amps at Internet auctions must subscribe to
understand what models to buy.

There is another important reason that this magazine is so important and it
has to do with the celebration of male DNA. Male DNA must know the esoteric
facts...like how many home runs were batted in by Babe Ruth in 1934, or how
many cubic inches is the 1969 Corvette motor and how fast was it from 0-60,
or what is the highest points per game for Dennis Rodman? Do you know what I
mean about the tribal authority that arises from knowing esoteric facts?...If
you want to be respected by your bros you better know some really cool
esoteric facts. Which is why it is important to know the vintage years for RCA
2A3s or 6V6, so when your audio bros says he prefers the sound of the
2A3, you can blurt out.....Well, yes, the 1936 RCAs are my favorites!
If you love something take it seriously because that is the only way to have
the most fun.

So here it is in one big ball of ear wax...you are plain dumber than dumb if
you dont subscribe to Vacuum Tube Valley, Americas finest magazine
of tube culture and art, If you dont want tube sand kicked in your face,
buy all of the back issues and then lock yourself in the potty and study each
issue, and dont come out until you have all the important stuff memorized.

SUBSCRIBE: www.vacuumtube.com

THE VINYL WOODY AWARD: JOHN GRADO

Lets face it I am the only one qualified to judge cartridge quality because
I am the only objective audio critic that has had a bat ear transplant, and
I dare anyone to challenge me on this value judgment: the Grado cartridge is
the finest cartridge in the world. Why?

(1) Because it is made in Brooklyn, thats why. Want to argue.
Fuck you, you loose in spades, because if you werent born in Brooklyn
and dont know the taste of a Nathans hot dog on a summer days
in Coney Island after a ride on the Cyclone, or the taste of Mrs. Stahls
authentic Brighton Beach knishes, or if you have never heard the sound of home
run blast hit out of Ebbetts field by Gil Hodges of the real Brooklyn Dodgers,
or, if you dont know the terror of being eaten alive by the man eating
alligators in the Brooklyn sewers, then you dont know squat about phono
cartridges. Michael Fermer are you listening?

(2) They are a real woody: John Grado guarantees that if you buy his
best cartridges you will be getting a major woody. The other reason that Grado
cartridges are the best in the world is because their wooden body is made from
Joe Grados warehouse of original Louisville slugger bats that the Brooklyn
Dodgers used between 1938 and 1954. Some of you may think this absurd, but there
is a special tonal quality to these bats, and when they are cut up and used
in the Grado cartridge bodies, when the music is playing just right you can
hear the roar of the crowds, the smell of the hot dog vendors, and the red,
white and blue flags waving all around the stadium, as Pee Wee Reese catches
a line drive, throws to first, Joe Di Maggio is out on first base and Brooklyn
Dodgers win the World Series. Now that is what I call a great cartridge.

Every Grado product has Brooklyn in its soul. Just think of Brooklyn as the
Venice of cartridge making and John Grado as the Prince of Brooklyn.

Those who are students of contemporary American arts are aware of the enormous
role Brooklyn, NY has played in creating American pop culture. In the arts Brooklyn
quickly became a charactereur of America, because it was Americas cultural
melting pot. The important new forms of Rock and Roll, comedy, drama, new classical
music, modern painting all sprung from the implosive multi-cultural explosion
happening in Brooklyn. Artists traveling to New York City either lived in Greenwich
Village or Brooklyn because they wanted to be part of the artistic melange.
You name any country and their culture was firmly entrenched in Brooklyn.

But the one single thing that made Brooklyn such a dynamic force in the modern
American arts is its reputation for phono cartridges. I remember sitting in
La Couple in Paris, and overhearing a conversation between Andre Gide, Marcel
Proust, Andres Malraux, and Jean Paul Satre, while they were talking about the
cartridge makers of Brooklyn...and they were jealous. Brooklyn was the place
that Joe Grado decided to do his thing, and forever change the course of the
audio arts. It makes perfect sense to me that a Brooklynite invented the moving
coil cartridge and that a original Brooklyn Dodgers fan should be the
custodian of the high ground for moving magnet cartridges for four decades.
Coney Island, Nathans Hot Dogs, The Brooklyn Bridge, Grado Cartridges....it
all makes sense.

Now you understand why God, in Her Infinite Wisdom, chose Brooklyn as my birthplace.
She wanted me to grow up on Americas phono cartridge high ground; the
site of the concresence of phono cartridge art. She wanted me to grow up near
Joe Grado, AKA, The Golden Voiced One, so I could absorb his vibe, while I was
listening to Bill Haley and Comets or hunting for alligators at night in the
sewers of Brooklyn (The stories are true. There are alligators in Brooklyn sewers
and I lost two good friends to them).

Brooklyn in 1953 was seriously happening. Brooklyn invented
attitude. GREASE
was happening and all of my friends had a switchblade comb, wore rolled up blue
jeans with sleeves rolled up on white T-shirts. In 1953 the first Corvette appeared,
and Joe introduced his first cartridge in 1953. Can you see the connection between
these two events that changed the course of American history?

Here again we see the clear relationship between the concrete artistic expression
and the soul of the man. Joe was a professional opera singer, a gourmet chef,
a man of letters, an athlete, you know the typical Brooklyn man...like Woody
Allen, Allan King, Aaron Copland, Arthur Miller, Thomas Wolfe, Philip Roth,
Gizmo, Leonard Bernstein, Oscar Hammerstein, etc.

.....

Brooklyn gets into the soul of the artist, and Joes soul, (not the Japanese
soul) created the moving coil cartridge. Personally, I think that Joes
invention is the foundation of the modern Golden Age of Vinyl. Not too
long ago if you didnt own at least two moving coil cartridges you were
considered lame. Yet, Joe only manufactured moving magnet cartridges, and those
are the ones I have always loved...for decades.

During the Golden Age of High End Audio I was into Quad electrostatics and
Futtermans and that combination was a merciless judge of cartridge tone
and to my ears very few of the moving coil cartridges of that period had natural
tone. This explains my love of Grado cartridges. Joe always got the tone right.

So it should not surprise you that I get a woody from the Grado Woody. Does
the composition of the cartridges body matter? Does the type of bras a
women wear matter? This is a sublime gizmo and it does its job brilliantly and
the kind of ooze with love from vinyl is very easily accessed with it. This
is the type of sensuous tone I demand from a cartridge because that is the key
to vinyl. In what ever price range you are ready..Grado is there for you.

So there I am in the lower level of the Grado factory and John Grado, the current
bloodline cartridge meister is showing me how the cartridges are being made,
and for a boy who grew up in a family of watchmakers I knew what I was watching
as I watched the man with the magnifying eye glasses watch what they was doing
with a very precision machine that was lining up the dohickies that makes the
big differences. As you know the Swiss are the people that make the machines
that the phono cartridge industry uses because all over Switzerland there are
skilled machinist that are only two inches tall, and they have tiny tiny fingers.
This explains why the Swiss are masters of micro-machining and assembly.

As with so many other "family" audio arts business Grado has a strong
gizmological tradition that spans their amazing $15 model to their most le plus
ultra mega woody....there definitely is a well know personality to the Grado
cartridge. Does this analogy make sense to you:? Cremona is to Stradivarius
as Brooklyn is to Grado.

One disconcerting moment at the factory was meeting one of the young members
of the Grado family who could not talk because his tongue was cut out. John
told me that his irresponsible cousin got drunk in a bar one night and started
to tell some oriental fellow wearing a mask (who went swimming with cement shoes
on) the Grado family secrets...and you know the rest.

This also explains why I was not allowed to take any pictures, ask any serious
technical questions and was lead blindfolded through certain sections of the
factory.

What I find so curious is that so many other people who didnt grow up
in Brooklyn also love this cartridge, which makes me very suspicious...whats
going on?

What more can I say?

As far as I know John Grado is the only phono cartridge manufacturer in the
world who will guarantee you a woody when you buy one of his woodies.

Grado: www.gradolabs.com

THE AUDIO DARK MAN AWARDS

"And the first winners are..."

Because we must be more accurate about the audio arts..it is filled with real
flesh and blood people, and while many shine... there are also many who are
dark, destructive and pernicous...which is why Esquire Magazines "Dubious
Achievement Awards" issue is so popular. In my last article I celebrated
those who shine, and now it time for me to celebrate the dark force in our tribe..

Hanibal Lecter Award: Ralph Karstin of Atma-Sphere: The only
other time in my life that I was certain that someone wanted to eat my liver,
while I was alive, was when I told my first wife I was leaving her for another
women...that was much younger. Two years ago when Ralph discovered that I preferred
the sound of the Berning ZOTL to his amplifiers ( that I had vastly improved
upon) he not only had a major emotional meltdown, but began a long term war
against me which hasnt stopped....to discredit my critical comments and
to discredit David Berning. Why does his war against me make me feel so good?
Even after HP has praised his amplifiers, Ralph is still desperate for my love....proving
that my opinion is more valued than HPs...but you knew that. Ralph you
need electric shock therapy....it works for me.

enjoythejudas.com award: Steve Rochlin. After helping build Steve
Rochlins web site, enjoythemusic.com, by making the Triode Guild the home
of intellectually awesome...and never receiving any compensation, he demanded
I sign an exclusive contract with him....again for no compensation. When I refused
Steve erased the Triode Guild web site without any warning and destroyed all
of my files. I am thankful for his betrayal because it forced me to move on
and seek my immortality on a higher plane. And yes, I have arisen, and once
again my spirit is alive on the Internet. Look for the mini-series next Easter
on CNN.